D One And Only

Zahrain sparks off uproar in the Dewan

2010-03-18T09:49:00.001+08:00

Making his debut as an independent member of Parliament, Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Hashim made a loud entrance of sorts that roused the House into a shouting match between both sides of the divide.

The parliamentarian began his maiden speech serenely enough, but the ruckus he kicked up snowballed into chaos as he spoke on the reasons why he left Pakatan Rakyat.

Uproar ensued when Zahrain began relating his version of events leading up to Sept 16 last year, the date which Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said the opposition would take over the federal government.

The spark that ignited the powder keg of parliamentary fireworks was his allegation that Pakatan representatives were 'told to be on stand-by in Parliament' on Sept 16 to take over the legislature.

He claimed that the Pakatan parliamentarians were informed that they had the support of the army and the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"We were fooled (into believing) that the Agong was prepared and waiting for us at the palace to meet with the defected MPs and waiting for Pakatan Rakyat to form the federal government.

"The Agong was said to have blessed the appointment of Anwar as the prime minister. We were also 'bribed' with the story that the royal army was supporting us."

Zahrain's claim prompted Anwar, who is opposition parliamentary leader, to stand up and claim Zahrain's change of heart came only after experiencing "power and riches".

Eventually, Anwar turned and walked out of the chambers.

Wet-market

What followed next was a barrage of hoots from BN representatives, who accused Anwar of not being able to take the heat, and counter-retorts by Pakatan parliamentarians deriding Zahrain for what they said were false claims.

"Takut! Takut! Takut!" (Scared! Scared! Scared!) jeered BN representatives, among the more notable of whom was Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz (BN-Padang Rengas).

Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee then intervened by reminding the House that the standing orders prohibit discussions onthe Agong and the judiciary unless there was a specific motion on them.

He was alluding to Zahrain's claims about the Agong and the military.

"Article 36(8) of Standing Orders states that the behaviour and qualities of the Agong and Malay rulers, state governors, judges or any other institutions cannot be mentioned unless through a motion."

In the midst of the fracas, Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) stood up, and citing Order 36(6), said, "A member is not allowed to make malicious claims about another member, and this issue is not related to the royal address. This is an issue that was brought up to attack an individual and there is no opportunity for that individual to explain."

Kiandee, however, disagreed and said, "I do not see how Zahrain has violated that order [36(6)]."

The hullabaloo proceeded with both sides making more noise - while being oblivious to Zahrain. Amongst the most vocal of them were N Gobalakrishnan (PKR-Padang Serai) and Mohamad Aziz (BN-Sri Gading).

The wet market-like din of the session ended only when Kiandee adjourned the Dewan Rakyat to 10am tomorrow.

Pushed over the edge

Met outside the House, Zahrain defended his speech.

"I'm just telling the reasons why I left the party, my frustrations with (Parti) Keadilan (Rakyat) and the promises made by the ketua umum (party advisor), which were all lies. I didn't speak (of these things) in the press, I only spoke (about it) in Parliament," he told reporters.

Asked why he only voiced his dissent one year after the Sept 16 debacle, Zahrain said that other than the failed takeover, what pushed him over the edge was the flack he received over Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, whom he had labeled as a dictator and chauvinist.

"I was not defended. That was the last straw."

Zahrain was engaged in a war of words with Lim over a tussle with regards to a contract to manage golf clubs owned by the Penang Development Corporation.

Asked what he thought about Anwar (left) walking out, Zahrain said it was Anwar's "prerogative" to do so.

Anwar, meanwhile, told reporters after his exit from the Dewan that Zahrain was telling tall tales.

"Who is the MP that came during the supposed takeover? No one came. Nobody assembled in Parliament. But he made up the story like that. (It's) not true at all."

The Permatang Pauh MP also accused Zahrain of being an Umno stooge.

"He is being used by Umno for their cheap tricks. What for? He is mad because people accused him of the two dollar company (issue), so that is why he is saying this. That is the real issue," alleged Anwar.

Indian issues are national issues: Denison

2010-03-18T09:47:00.002+08:00

The grievances of the 1.8 million-strong Indian Malaysian community should be viewed as a national concern and addressed in the 10th Malaysia Plan, a socio-economic expert said.

Dr Denison Jayasooria (left), who is the principal research fellow of the Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said there were concerns the community's problems were seen as a 'community' concern, rather than national.

"As most government agencies do not look seriously into issues pertaining to crime, violence, urban poverty, and issues pertaining to quality of life, inadequate infrastructure for Tamil school, low recruitment and promotion opportunities in both public and private sectors.

"Often, both politicians and public servants are calling on political parties and voluntary organisations to address these issues," he told Bernama.

He said, the community strongly felt that socio-economic concerns of all Malaysians should be the concern of the government. Hence, public funds should be utilised to address major concerns beyond the capacity of the voluntary sector.

He said this was one of several grievances put forth by community leaders, non-governmental organisations and political parties at a three-day discussion held late last year to receive input and feedback on the Ninth Malaysia Plan's policies and programmes.

This was aimed at providing input to the 10th Malaysia Plan, which would be tabled in Parliament in mid-year and implemented from 2011.

Urgent need

Denison said the community also wanted the government to scale up programmes for the Indian youth to ensure they reached a larger segment.

"Reaching out to young people only at the post-secondary level does not take into account the comprehensive nature of social problems at the individual, family and community levels," said the former head of MIC 'think-tank' Yayasan Strategik Sosial.

He said, there was a need for government agencies to "build into" programmes, like a mapping project which could document the impact over the next five to 10 years to capture the transformation experience or individuals and families.

"The urgent need in the 10th Malaysia Plan process is to budget for five years and provide adequate funding for operations and programmes.

"In addition, the government should establish a community consultative council to meet on a quarterly basis to review feedback on developments and highlight difficulties encountered at the grassroots, especially at the implementation level," added Denison

Anwar spars with KJ over 1Israel, tycoon's daughter

2010-03-18T09:17:00.000+08:00

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today went on the attack in Parliament by claiming that Apco Worldwide, a consultancy agency hired by the Malaysian government, was the brain behind the 'One Israel' slogan.

During lengthy three-hour speech on the royal address, Anwar said Apco had in 1999 advised former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak to adopt the 'One Israel' slogan.

Furthermore, the company which the Malaysian government had engaged to boost its image is led by an Israeli leader who is a former ambassador to the US.

“Is this not an issue to Umno? In 2009, Apco advised Najib on 1Malaysia. The rest is up to your own interpretation,” he said.

He also dug out the issue involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was engaged by the then Dr Mahathir Mohamad to seek a meeting between the Malaysian premier and US president George W Bush in 2002.

Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin immediately jumped to his feet to demand that Anwar produce evidence that Apco was behind the 'One Israel' campaign.

Counter attacking, the Umno Youth chief also quizzed Anwar's relationship with Paul Wolfowitz who is known as “the godfather to the neo-conservative movement in the US”.

“You are a complicit as well,” Khairy told Anwar.

The war of words between the two escalated, causing a ruckus among members of the ruling BN and opposition Pakatan Rakyat in the House.

Anwar shot back that he had no problems conceding that Wolfowitz was an acquaintance, whom he met during his lecturing tenure at John Hopkins University, some years after he was released from prison.

Dancing with tycoon's daughter

Prior to that, Anwar chastised BN for giving “a whole mountain” to the late Lim Goh Tong of the Genting Highlands fame, but complained about Pakatan's allocations for Chinese new villages in Perak.

Khairy again stood up lambasting Anwar for providing examples of Umno and BN painting Pakatan as anti-Malay but failed to acknowledged that one of their own had also made similar accusations.

“A former Pakatan MP was referred to as a chauvinist and a dictator and this did not come from Utusan (Malaysia) or Umno, but it is from an MP who was a top leader in PKR,” said Khairy.

“So you can try to cheat the Dewan with a few facts but the issue is that the PKR people themselves have lost confidence in you,” he said.

Khairy then added: “When you were deputy prime minister, you gave the mountain to the same tauke judi (gambling tycoon)... and not only that - you were also seen dancing with the daughter of the tauke judi while you were the deputy prime minister.”

Anwar was not amused.

“This is the Umno Youth chief... we danced a bit and they make a lot noise, but it's okay for (Muslim) BN leaders to guzzle liquor,” said Anwar, without naming who he was referring to.

MCA presidential hopefuls play waiting game

2010-03-16T10:20:00.001+08:00

Political analysts believe that either former MCA deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek or former MCA president Ong Ka Ting or both will take on incumbent president Ong Tee Keat for the party presidency on March 28.

"It's a waiting game now. Both Ka Ting and Chua do not want to be the first to make the announcement as each is waiting for other to declare his position (whether he is going to contest the presidency)," said party central committee member Ti Lian Ker.

Ti said Chua's plan to contest (the presidency) would be disrupted if Ka Ting (left) joined the fray and this he claimed had led to the former health minister to rethink his strategy.

"That is why despite going around attending closed-door briefings, Chua has yet to announce which position he is going to contest," he said.

Another political analyst believes that should Ka Ting enter the fray, it will affect Chua's chances and work against his advantage, although it is said the former deputy president has about 40 a percent support out of the total 2,400 delegates.

"If there is a three-cornered fight between Tee Keat, Chua and Ka Ting, it will work in favour of Ka Ting. That's why Chua is not happy about Ka Ting being in the equation," the analyst said.

Chua is said to be not in favour of Ka Ting making a comeback and was quoted yesterday as saying that if Ka Ting decided to contest, 'it would further split the party'.

Been 'played out'?

In fact, Ti went a step further by alleging that Ka Ting, together with former MCA deputy president Chan Kong Choy and the most senior MCA central committee member Wong Mook Leong had planned for Ka Ting to make a comeback.

He believed that Chua had been "played out" by this group and was not surprised when former MCA deputy president Lim Ah Lek (right), who is said to be linked to the group, called on Ka Ting to come out from retirement and re-unite the party.

Calls to Ka Ting, Lim and Wong when unanswered to verify Ti's allegation.

However, some of Ka Ting supporters when contacted rubbished Ti's allegation, saying that it was a 'personal vendetta' as Ti was dropped in the last general election's party line up.

"These people are worried that should Ka Ting make a comeback, it will be hard for them to defend their posts," said a supporter of Ka Ting who refused to be named.

The possible return of Ka Ting seems to be gaining shape following the Bentong MCA division, which is closely linked to former MCA vice-president Liow Tiong Lai, announcing their support for him.

'Unify dissenting voices'

The division's deputy chief Wong Choo Yak said they favoured a Ka Ting-Tiong Lai combination in the presidential race. The division's chief is Hoh Khai Mun, who is also Pahang MCA chairperson and a strong supporter of Liow.

"He (Ka Ting) has the experience and the mettle to hold the party together. During his tenure as president, he managed to unify dissenting voices in the interest of strengthening the party.

"We are also fully behind Bentong MP Liow Tiong Lai. He has a free hand to contest in any position he chooses," said Wong.

However, whoever his challenger will be, Tee Keat (above) remains unfazed with the latest developments.

"I remain undeterred by whatever the developments may be. All members are eligible to seek a mandate from the delegates. Whether it is a past leader or current leader, again, I'm not too concerned about it," he said.

– Bernama

Two new faces in Kedah exco reshuffle

2010-03-10T12:37:00.002+08:00

Two Kedah executive council (exco) members were today dropped in the first state cabinet reshuffle in a Pakatan Rakyat-held state since March 2008.

The two exco members that were dropped are Pantai Merdeka state assemblyperson Abdullah Jusoh (PAS) and Bakar Arang state assemblyperson Tan Wei Shu (PKR).

There were replaced by Ayer Hitam state assemblyperson Abdul Ghani Ahmad (PAS) and Sidam state assemblyperson Tan Show Kang (PKR).

Abdullah is not charged with the Science, Innovation and Information Technology portfolio while Wei Shu will hold the Environment, Chinese Affairs and Transport portfolio.

The duo were sworn in at the Istana Anak Bukit this morning.

Eight other incumbent exco members had their term extended for another year.

It was previously speculated that Wei Shu would be dropped due to poor performance and replaced by the more senior Show Kang.

Uthaya, MIC slams Pakatan 'unfulfilled promises'

2010-03-09T17:45:00.002+08:00

Two years ago, the 1.8 million-strong Indian Malaysian community was full of expectations when it backed the opposition Pakatan Rakyat to capture several key states at the 2008 general election.

The rallying call by current Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in the run-up to the election was 'Makkal Sakti' or the people's power, which stoked the emotions of Indians who then felt neglected by the BN government, after several key issues confronting them were unresolved.

But BN under the stewardship of new premier Najib Razak has since worked to win back the community.

"Both the PM and his deputy (Muhyiddin Yassin) are seen as being sincere in aiding the community now. Their stance on matters which concern the community is being well received. Overall, I have yet to see anything specific done by the opposition to help the community in the states they rule.

"Their election promises remain as just promises. It must also be noted that the demolition of temples has stopped. But things like assistance to Tamil schools by the respective state government's is not forthcoming as promised.

"On other issues, the people are dissatisfied. Those who supported the opposition at the 2008 election feel more let down than those who just wanted to give them an opportunity," veteran politican M Mahalingam told Bernama.

The Indian community is fragmented into various groups and it has, at least, six political parties to choose from.

They are MIC, People's Progressive Party or PPP (although multiracial, the party is predominantly made up of Indians), Indian Progressive Front (IPF), Malaysian Indian United Party (Miup), the newly-formed Malaysian Makkal Sakti Party and the proposed Human Rights Party (HRP).

Uthaya criticises Pakatan

Of the parties above, only the MIC and PPP are in the BN while IPF, Miup and Makkal Sakti are now all BN-friendly. HRP had earlier openly joined hands with the opposition, but its political allegiance remains questionable.

Yesterday, HRP pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar slammed the opposition pact, saying that its leaders had failed to fulfill their promises made during the last general election in solving problems faced by the Indian poor.

He said, after two years that the Pakatan coalition became the government in four states, they still had not understood the real aspirations of the Indian poor.

"We had great hopes in the opposition parties when we urged the Indians to vote overwhelmingly for the Pakatan coalition in the last general election.

"We attribute this to leadership without vision. You (Pakatan leaders) cannot understand the aspirations of the people who voted you in. You played the traditional political game of illusions and promises," he said in a letter to Anwar, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak and Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Uthayakumar said, although the leaders had complete authority over state land matters, which was the most pressing issue to the Indian poor, yet till today, they had completely ignored this issue in Penang, Kedah and Selangor.

On Sunday, Uthayakumar led a group of 100 HRP supporters to protest outside the headquarters of opposition party PKR.

Dissatisfaction with BN

MIC president S Samy Vellu said the opposition's win at the 2008 election was due to dissatisfaction towards the BN, which was eventually manipulated by the opposition.

"But now, the people are starting to realise that these promises were made just to win votes and not with the intention of helping the community.

“Even in states governed by the opposition, they had failed to fulfill their promises... not only that, they have also been accused of being unfair and had failed in looking after the welfare of the community which was guaranteed in their election pledge.

"I feel this would be the best time to seize the support of the Indian community towards the BN. BN has to work hard and retain its status as the conduit of the people and the government.

"We have strong leadership, who are close to the people. In my (years of) service, I have not seen a prime minister who is closer to the rakyat than Najib," said Samy Vellu, who has served as MIC president for over 30 years.

Karpal to ex-PKR MPs: 'Stay away from Parliament'

2010-03-08T11:55:00.000+08:00

DAP chairperson Karpal Singh today challenged four ex-PKR members of parliament to stay away from the Dewan Rakyat session beginning Mar 15.

This would lead to their disqualification as MPs and force by-elections in their constituencies.

The senior lawyer said the challenge was made in reference to Article 52(1) of the Federal Constitution which stated that a member of the Dewan Rakyat would be automatically disqualified as an MP if he or she was absent from the House without leave for one session.

Karpal Singh, who is MP for Bukit Gelugor, issued the challenge to Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (MP for Bayan Baru), Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal) and Mohsin Fadzil Samsuri (Bagan Serai), who resigned from PKR recently, and Zulkifli Nordin (Kulim-Bandar Baru), who was sacked from the party.

"I challenge them to stay away from the Dewan Rakyat session to enable their seats to fall vacant," Karpal, speaking to reporters in Penang, was quoted by Bernama as saying today.

Karpal said further that he had the right to issue the challenge as the DAP was a member of the Pakatan Rakyat of which PKR was also a member, along with PAS.

Karpal Singh said that if these MPs insisted that their election was the choice of their constituents, "I challenge them to resign so that by-elections can be held to prove that their victory was the people's choice".

"They should not brag (about their election victories) because they had won on the PKR ticket," he said.

Karpal Singh also said that he was convinced there would not be any more resignations of PKR members and that the recent departure of the elected representatives was a clean-up process.

HRP rallies against PKR over Indian grievances

2010-03-08T11:53:00.001+08:00

Human Rights Party (HRP) today led a demonstration in front of PKR's head office, claiming that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition had failed to address Indian community issues.

The demonstration was led by HRP's pro-tem secretary general P Uthayakumar, who was backed up by about 100 people consisting of HRP activists and residents of Petaling Jaya Selatan.

Uthayakumar said the protest was held to voice out the disappointment of Indians against Pakatan as they had failed to address issues affecting the Indian community, despite the latter's role in putting the coalition into power in five states.

"Indian, who were (the) king makers during the general elections in 2008, are still treated like slaves today," said the lawyer-politician.

Uthayakumar did not hand over a memorandum he had planned to submit to Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, as Anwar was at the time at the Pakatan Selangor convention in Shah Alam.

He said the memorandum would be submitted to Anwar on March 15 when Parliament reconvenes.

Uthayakumar said further that the HRP would be fielding candidates in the next general election in 15 parliamentary seats.

Contacted for a response, Anwar's personal aide, R Suresh Kumar, asked why Uthayakumar did not demonstrate in BN- held states as they were held for the past 53 years.

"He is a mandore of highest order for them (BN)," Suresh charged.

Uthayakumar's ex-Hindu Rights Action force (Hindraf) comrades V Ganabatirao (left) and K Vasanthakumar (right) also lashed out at their former comrade.

"They have lost ground. He is attempting to gain cheap publicity," said Ganabatirao.

"Who is the real enemy here? HRP does not represent Indians, as claimed by redundant leader, Uthayakumar. Indians are with Pakatan to realise the Hindraf dreams," alleged Vasanthakumar.

The demonstrators later left the vicinity about 40 minutes later. No police officer was seen during the time of the protest, despite a police beat being located doors away from the PKR headquarters.

Sothinathan back in MIC's good graces

2010-03-05T10:18:00.001+08:00

Former party rebel S Sothinathan is back on the MIC political stage and there's speculation that he might soon be made a senator as well as the next senate president.

A MIC source said Sothinathan (left), being a lawyer and former favourite of S Samy Velu, would have an advantage against other challengers within the party for the senator post as well as the top senate post.

At present MIC has six senators consisting of S Chandrasekaran, Dr Malasingam, M Logachitra, Usha Nanthini, Daljit Singh and N Ravichandran.

Senators are given a three-year term of office and another three-year lifeline if the party chief is in favour of extending the term of office.

However, Samy has announced that one term as senator is sufficient for party members and that other potential members should also be given a chance.

There will be two possible MIC senator seats vacant for this year as Ravichandran's term of office has ended in January 2010 and Logachitra's term ends in April this year.

Currying favour with Samy

The senate president's post is normally rotated among the three main BN component parties of Umno, MCA and MIC. The latter is set to fill the senate top post this year.

Many MIC members who do not enjoy a BN political post are now making a rush to be in the good books of Samy and possibly become a senator in the hope of bagging a deputy minister post or even fill up the senate chief's post.

Malaysiakini has learned that Samy has already submitted the list of potential senator candidates to Premier Najib Abdul Razak for his final decision.

A source says Samy believes in Sothinathan's potential as a second-rank leader, just needing a political platform to climb up the MIC hierarchy ladder.

Sothinathan previously contested for the post of MIC deputy president, losing to G Palanivel (right).

But Sothinathan is expected to face strong challenges from fellow party leaders such as party secretary-general S Murugesan, party information chief P Kamalanathan, and former Ijok state assemblyperson S Parthiban.

Meanwhile the MIC source stated that while Sothinathan is gaining rapport with Samy, Deputy Federal Territories Minister M Saravanan is allegedly drifting away from the MIC president.

The communication gap between the two is widening and it is alleged that Saravanan is not attending party meetings and not seeing eye-to-eye with the MIC president.

Recently Saravanan lost a civil suit filed by his former business partner and he has been told to pay about RM1.9 million to his partner. This turn of events allegedly did not go down well with the party leadership.

Zul walks out of PKR disciplinary board

2010-03-05T10:17:00.001+08:00

Maverick party leader Zulkifli Noordin today walked out of the PKR disciplinary board meeting in protest of the presence of non-Muslims on the panel.

Zulkifli said that the panel should be all Muslim because one of the charges he faced is related to the 'Allah' issue.

His demand for an all-Muslim panel was rejected by the panel members. He subsequently walked out of the meeting.

According to him, the panel was made up of one Muslim, two Christians and one Hindu.

The panel members had apparently told him that they cannot replace themselves with others because the power to appoint the panel lies with the party supreme council.

Hence Zulkifli called on the supreme council to appoint a new panel before next Tuesday.

He said if the party rejects his demand, "I would have to resign."

Zulikifli claimed two Chinese members on the panel were Christian activists.

“How can I get justice if the panel is not all-Muslim? Justice should not only be done, it should be seen to be done."

He stressed that while he respects the non-Muslims sitting on the panel, justice demands that the accused be tried by his peers, in this case Muslims.

"I do not want the hearing to be done before a board which is not Islamic as the issue in question concerns my belief, Islamic law and the 'ummah'," he told journalists after the walkout.

"For that reason, I have decided not to recognise the panel of 'Christian' disciplinary board members to discuss the issue on the use of 'Allah'.

"I believed this is a plan hatched by the 'little pharaohs' within PKR, who want to humiliate me and also Islam, by producing me before a non-Muslim disciplinary board."

Zulkifli charged that should the hearing continue and his objection dismissed, then PKR is a party which does not respect Islam and Muslims.

"I call on the party leadership to dissolve the disciplinary board."

'Don't play with my religion'

Zulkifli said he had urged the disciplinary board, in view of its multi-ethnic composition, to hear the second charge against him for criticising Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

He said he was ready to proceed and had a 21-page statement for his defence.

"If they listen to my rebuttal, they would be crying for doing this to me because I was protecting the party," he said.

Zulkifli said he had earlier sent three letters to the board stating his objection to the presence of non-Muslims on the board, but he did not receive a reply until today.

He stressed that the only issue that will force him to quit the party is religion.

“Don't play with my religion, I will not compromise."

Asked whether he is still loyal to the party, Zulkifli said that he would be giving the party a chance to set up a new disciplinary board. “This means that I still have faith in the party.”

Zulkifli said that he will exhaust all party channels in seeking justice before making a decision on whether to follow three of his parliamentary colleagues to quit PKR.

The disciplinary board is meeting to determine the fate of the errant Kulim Bandar Baru parliamentarian.

He was asked to face the board after he made a police report against fellow Pakatan Rakyat colleague Khalid Samad, the Shah Alam MP from PAS.

Zulkifli had arrived at the PKR headquarters in Kuala Lumpur 30 minutes earlier on a Modenas motorbike wearing his trademark white 'kopiah' and white shirt.

PKR disciplinary board had on Monday postponed its hearing of the case against Zulkifli in order to consider a number of objections raised by the errant party leader.

Zulkifli had raised eight objections, among them, that PKR practises double standards because party colleagues Wee Choo Keong and Zaid Ibrahim were not hauled up by the disciplinary board.

Nothing to do with 'Allah' row

Meanwhile, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution when contacted clarified that Zulkifli is not being produced to the disciplinary board over his stance on the Allah 'issue' or on Islam, but over his police report against Khalid.

He claims Zulkifli attempt to turn the disciplinary hearing into a racial and religious issue as "improper".

“The hearing is about Zulkifli's police report against Khalid. It is solely on that issue and nothing else. It does not have to do with the 'Allah' issue of which he had claimed,” Saifuddin said.

The disciplinary board has accorded him due process and has explained its position on the hearing, but he chose to reject the explanation and walked out on them.

“Despite this, the board will forward their recommendations to me and I will table their findings to the party's supreme council meeting on Saturday. The council will discuss the next course of action and Zulkifli can appeal the decision," he said.

On Zulkifli's threat to quit the party should the board not heed his demands, Saifuddin said it was the former's prerogative to do so.

Soi Lek quits as MCA No 2, pushes for fresh polls

2010-03-04T15:02:00.001+08:00

Dr Chua Soi Lek today announced his resignation as deputy president, along with seven other central committee members, in a bid to force fresh polls for the top leadership.

The seven central committee members include Kong Cho Ha, Tan Chai Ho, Loh Seng Kok, Chong Itt Chew, Gan Tian Loo, Tee Siew Keong and Por Choo Chor.

Coupled with 13 central committee members from vice president Liow Tiong Lai's faction who have pledged to resign, Chua's team will thus provide the exact number of resignations to fulfill the requirement for the central committee to dissolve itself.

Based on the party constitution, the current situation requires the party to hold fresh polls within 30 days.

Earlier Malaysiakini report:

Rival MCA faction leaders are holding back-to-back media conferences today, fueling rumours that there is now enough resignations from the central committee to compel fresh polls for the top party leadership.

Deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek will be calling for his press conference at 2pm at the ninth floor of the MCA headquarters while vice-president Liow Tiong Lai will be doing the same, at the same floor, an hour later.

Liow's faction has been been pushing for fresh polls for the central committee since last November because president Ong Tee Keat reneged on a promise to resign after losing a no-confidence vote a month earlier.

Chua had also been supportive of fresh polls, but has been very coy on when he will resign from the central committee, other than stating that it should be after Chinese New Year celebrations.

Previously, Liow and 12 central committee members have offered to quit to pave way for fresh polls. It is unknown exactly how many central committee members does Chua command.

Two-thirds of the central committee must resign for it to dissolve itself. With Liow's faction needs to find eight more to achieve this.

Their announcements later appears meticulously timed to influence the central committee, which will meet tomorrow, and a private dinner between the four major MCA faction leaders with Prime MInister and Barisan Nasional chief Najib Abdul Razak tonight.

Umno claims Batu while Gerakan fumes

2010-03-04T14:02:00.000+08:00

In light of a possible by-election for the Batu parliamentary seat, Umno's Batu division has wrested the Batu BN division chief post from Gerakan, spelling a possible end to Gerakan's 22-year hold on the seat.

Batu is located in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. It has been contested by Gerakan candidates since its creation in 1986.

Sources from Gerakan confirmed to Malaysiakini that Batu Umno division chief Yahya Mat Ghani was appointed as BN chief of the parliamentary constituency last Friday.

The post was held by Gerakan's Ng Lip Yong (right) who was Batu MP until he lost the seat to Tian Chua from PKR in the 2008 general election. The BN division chief had been left vacant till Yahya's appointment.

Grassroots dissatisfied

The appointment had sparked strong dissatisfaction among the Batu Gerakan members. One member described the response as "extremely bad".

"At the division level, we cannot do anything. It is up to the party leadership to deal with it," he said on the condition of anonymity.

The division feared that they would lose the seat to Umno in the next election because the BN division chief is likely to be the candidate. With a possible by-election is on its way, their worries escalate.

Last October Tian Chua was sentenced to a RM3000 fine and six months' jail for biting a police constable. He will lose his parliament seat should he fail to appeal against the judgement.

The Batu BN division chief post was held by Gerakan, for the most part, until 2008.

BN chief controls resources

Gerakan sources pointed out that the BN division chief controls government resources including monetary allocations.

"If there are houses burned down in the constituency, he can distribute funds from the welfare department. If the roads are bad, he can ask the public works department to tar the road."

He said that even if Gerakan is still given the chance to contest but another party manages the allocations and resources, this means more obstacles in reclaiming the seat.

Gerakan is given three parliamentary seats in Kuala Lumpur - Kepong, Segambut and Batu. Although all three seats fell into the hands of the opposition in the last general election, Gerakan still retains the BN division chief posts in Kepong and Segambut.

Tian Chua not threatened

Batu is a racially mixed urban seat with 44.3 percent Malay, 20.8 percent Chinese and 14.3 percent Indian voters. Tian Chua defeated Gerakan youth chief Lim Si Pin in the last general election with a 9455 vote majority.

Tian Chua (left) believes PKR in Batu will not be threatened by BN fielding an Umno candidate in the next election.

"There will be more Chinese voters (who will) swing towards PKR and the Malay votes that flow back to Umno will be limited," he said.

However his division has not prepared for a by-election as a final decision on his criminal case will not be reached anytime in the near future, he added.

Umno split into factions

Meanwhile Gerakan did not foresee Umno reclaiming the seat because the Umno division had split into three factions.

According to Gerakan sources, Yahya defeated his opponent in the party divisional polls with a slim majority of three votes. This had split the division into two major factions and the third faction was comprised of younger members who were disgruntled with Yahya's leadership.

Another factor that fuels the infighting is Kuala Lumpur Umno's senatorship. The tenure of one of two Umno senators from Kuala Lumpur had expired and a representative of Batu Umno division is likely to succeed the post.

Perak PKR MP Mohsin Samsuri quits

2010-03-03T12:42:00.002+08:00

Bagan Serai member of parliament Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri today announced his decision to quit PKR to become an Independent.

Mohsin, who was elected to represent the northern Perak constituency, is the third PKR MP to quit over two weeks.

The other two were Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Hashim and Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng.

Moshin was accompanied by former PKR secretary-general Salehuddin Hashim at the press conference in Kuala Lumpur where the announcement was made this morning.

Salehuddin had also appeared at the press conferences during which the other two PKR parliamentarians made their 'quit PKR' announcement.

According to Moshin, he decided to leave the party over his disagreement on the party's stand on the 'Allah' issue. PKR has advocated that use of the word is not exclusive to Muslim.

Mohsin said that his faith in PKR and Pakatan has been eroded over the party's failure to restore the political principles and sovereignty of Islam.

His faith was particularly shaken when the much-talked about Pakatan's Sept 16 takeover bid did not happen as proclaimed by Anwar.

He also complained of late, that there has been too many power struggles within the party with treachery and back stabbing becoming the order of the day.

Mohsin lamented that these has affected his ability to perform his duties as an MP effectively within the party structure.

As such, he is resigning from PKR and letting go of all party posts, though he will remain as Bagan Serai parlimentarian as an independent. He denied that he has been co-opted by any party.

Salehuddin: I'm not the mastermind

Meanwhile, Salehuddin denied he was the mastermind behind the spate of defections from PKR.

He maintained that he was present at the press conferences because those former PKR elected representatives, who are his friends, called him up to expressed their dissatisfaction and ask for his advice.

According to Salehuddin, PKR should not make a stand on the controversial 'Allah' issue when there is opposition from party members.

"The decision was made by one or two people without debate, so it has caused anxiety among grassroots leaders," he said.

Mohsin, a first-term parliamentarian, beat Zainal Abidin Zin of Umno in the 2008 general election by 3,413 votes, in a constituency of 47,111 voters.

With the departure of Mohsin from PKR, the party now holds fewer seats than opposition ally DAP.

DAP has 28 seats, while PKR now has 27 and PAS 23.

However, DAP leaders yesterday indicated that they will continue to support PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim as parliamentary opposition leader.

Tee Beng quits PKR, Zul Noordin stays put for now

2010-03-01T12:45:00.001+08:00

Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng today formally announced his resignation from PKR and is now an independent.

However, he refused to confirm if he would be an ally to Barisan Nasional.

The announcement was made during a press conference in Ampang, Selangor, accompanied former PKR secretary-general Salehudin Hashim who has also recently resigned from the party.

In a related development, Kulim Bandar Bharu MP Zulkifli Noordin, when contacted, denied news reports that he would announce his resignation today.

Both Tan and Zulkifli were scheduled to be hauled up by the PKR disciplinary board this month, among others, for attacking Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Zulkifli told Malaysiakini that he will not attend the scheduled hearing this afternoon because the party has yet to reply his Feb 16 letter, which made several complaints about the proceedings.

"Until today, they have yet to reply. So how can I attend the hearing?" he asked.

Previously, the Tan and Zulkifli were rumoured to be among several disgruntled PKR MPs who are keen on following the footsteps of Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Hashim.

Zahrain left the party after citing a loss of confidence in Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng. He also claims that the DAP-led government was sidelining PKR.

Incidently, Zahrain was also accompanied by Salehudin during his press conference to announce his resignation from the PKR on February 12.

Samy to consult MIC members on BN open membership proposal

2010-03-01T11:16:00.001+08:00

MIC president S Samy Vellu today maintained that the party was not against the BN's proposed open membership system, but stressed that he would still have to gauge the feelings of party members on the proposal.

He said the MIC, being the third largest BN component party, did not object to the proposal mooted by Prime Minister and BN chairman Najib Abdul Razak at the BN Supreme Council meeting on Feb 19.

"The prime minister wants to further strengthen the BN, and we will back him in his efforts. However, we have to know what our members feel and think about the proposal," he told reporters before handing out diplomas to the party's TAFE College students in Kuala Lumpur today.

Najib proposed the move to allow individuals and non-governmental organisations friendly to the BN to be part of the BN in a move to strengthen the coalition, especially to face the next general election.

Samy Vellu said a sub-committee headed by him would be formed to study the proposal.

"The matter will also be discussed at the MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting so that we can get a collective view on the matter. There may be differences in opinion and we have to come to a consensus," he said.

He said the party's views and recommendations would then be submitted to a committee formed by the BN Supreme Council and headed by Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein to study the proposal.

"This proposal has to be deliberated and studied carefully by the respective component parties. The important thing is to get the feedback of their (respective) members. This is what we will do," he said.

We need time

Samy Vellu said the implementation of the proposal could not be rushed as time was needed to gauge the feelings of the members of the component parties.

The MIC chief said the party acknowledged the role of the NGOs, especially in mobilising the people's support for the BN.

"The MIC is already working closely with several NGOs and we have also formed consultative councils involving the MIC and NGOs in many states like in Perak and Johor," he said.

Samy Vellu said the MIC had also roped in the NGOs to discuss and make their recommendations on several issues affecting the Indian community such as the 10th Malaysia Plan.

On another matter, Samy Vellu urged school drop-outs and unemployed Indian youths to enlist with the various government-run skills training centres as some of the institutes have relaxed their entry requirements.

He said the MIC, with the cooperation of NGOs, would initiate more campaigns and publicity drives to recruit Indian youths to register with the institutes.

Pakatan Rakyat to form disciplinary committee

2010-02-23T10:26:00.001+08:00

Pakatan Rakyat's top leadership announced today that the coalition will set up a disciplinary committee to handle inter-party frictions and solve members' disciplinary issues. It will be headed by PKR Voce-president and MP for Subang, R Sivarasa (below. left)

Opposition leader and PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim announced this at a press conference held after a Pakatan leadership council meeting in Petaling Jaya.

"We also have other avenues for members to voice out their opinions as we have weekly meetings where dissatisfied members can talk about their grievances," he said.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang added that as parliamentarians representing the Pakatan coalition, they should make their decisions collectively.

The disciplinary committee would have 'more bite' in tackling issues of indiscipline and crises that cropped up in the coalition, said Anwar.

he said another committee headed by Husam Musa of PAS was also formed at today's meeting and was tasked with handling oil royalty matters.

On the caning meted out recently to three women under 'syariah' law at the Kajang prison earlier this month, Abdul Hadi was of the opinion that the whipping had not been done in compliance with Syariah's principles.

"We can only assume that the execution and due process of Syariah's principles have not been applied (because of the lack of information)," he said adding the important thing in 'syariah' was that the due process of justice had been complied with and whether the confessions of the guilty had been properly recorded.

"This is cheap political (tactic) used to influence Muslims who might not be very knowledgeable about Islam," he said.

'Country's dignity'

When asked, information chief Latheefa Koya who was also present at the press conference questioned the transparency and fairness of the punishment meted to the three women.

"Why are there no details as to the charge? What happened to those men who were involved in the offence?" she asked.

On the recent call by 50 Australian members of Parliament to the Malaysian government to drop the sodomy charge against Anwar, Hadi said he felt ashamed as a Malaysian as other country had to call on the government to drop the charge.

"We should question our government on their moves as this involves the dignity of the country," he added.

Anwar (above), meanwhile, questioned why external parties were questioning Malaysia's judiciary adding that he had no power to stop others from making statements about Malaysia.

"We must have the integrity to improve ourselves," he said, adding the call by the Australian parliamentarians was not an intervention into Malaysian administration.

"I can make comments about Gaza and Burma so can other countries," he said.

'Political trial'

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang, who was also present, questioned the need for the upcoming overseas visit by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail and former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad

The trio will be speaking on Wednesday at a seminar hosted by an American bipartisan foreign policy think-tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, in Washington.

"If the Anwar's sodomy trial is not a 'political trial'(as said by the prime minister when refusing parliamentary special sitting on it), then why are they sending these three to win back America?" he asked.

MIC to resist BN's proposed direct membership?

2010-02-23T09:56:00.003+08:00

The MIC is expected to resist the ruling BN coalition's proposal to allow membership for friendly individuals, political parties and non-governmental organisations.

This is because, the party which boasts of 630,000 members, will lose its "monopoly" at the BN supreme council when it comes to Indian matters, in the event other Indian-based political parties are allowed in, say political pundits.

"This proposal, if it comes into effect, will definitely ensure more Indian participation in the BN. Presently, there is the veto power or the consensus system which requires all component parties to agree before an applicant is allowed into the BN.

"Once this is removed, there will be more Indian political parties coming into the BN.

"The MIC will definitely lose its dominance but it will be a boon for the Indian community as the BN leadership will be able to hear directly, the problems faced by Indians, generally from various parties, rather than just from the MIC alone," said former MIC vice-president M Mahalingam.

Last Friday, Prime Minister and BN chief Najib Abdul Razak announced that BN would amend its constitution to admit BN-friendly individuals, political parties and non-governmental organisations.

The 1.8 million-strong Malaysian Indian community is fragmented into various groups and the community has at least, six political parties to choose from.

The six parties are MIC, PPP (although multiracial, the party is predominantly made up of Indians), Indian Progressive
Front (IPF), Malaysian Indian United Party (Miup), the newly-formed Malaysian Makkal Sakti Party and the proposed Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf).

Of the parties above, only the MIC and PPP are in the BN. It is an open secret that IPF's application to join the grand coalition in the past was shot down by the MIC.

If the latest proposal is to become a reality, political observers expect IPF, Miup and Makkal Sakthi, who are all BN-friendly, to apply to join the coalition.

While inclusion of these parties will eclipse MIC dominance in the BN, it will directly increase Indian participation in the ruling coalition, which is desperate to win the hearts and minds of the now-fragmented Indian community.

At the last general election in 2008, the community deserted the BN, which it had supported over the last 50-odd years, by backing the opposition.

Out of the nine parliamentary and 19 state seats contested at the polls under the BN banner, the MIC managed to win only three parliamentary and seven state seats.

"The Indian votes are split and MIC alone cannot do the job of bringing back these votes. The BN top leadership realises that for the coalition to succeed, it needs the backing of all communities in the country.

"What the MIC wants, is for the party leaders to decide... the BN can't decide for all," said Mahalingam, a former deputy minister.

Political analyst Denison Jayasooria feels that the BN's move to woo those with similar ideology and providing them access to voice their grouses would be good for the coalition.

"However, the BN should be cautious in its approach of allowing members in. It should allow those who have an impact on the electorates, meaning those who have and will bring in the votes.

"Enlarging the coalition by allowing more parties to join does not mean more votes. It should pick quality alliances and weed out bogus parties," said the former head of Yayasan Strategik Sosial, the MIC think-tank.

He said BN should only allow those who had similar political ideologies as the coalition and encourage smaller or splinter parties to consolidate or merge before joining the BN.

"So far, as I see it, these Indian parties have the same ideology. For these parties, it is more of personality conflicts which is preventing them from merging into bigger entities.

"Definitely, this proposal will receive some resistance from the MIC.

"It must be noted that having many splinter parties does not necessarily enhance the BN. Consolidation of political parties and opening up BN membership may be the way forward for the ruling party.

"Small parties from small ethnic communities do not make a big difference in votes," he said.

- Bernama

'Pakatan will prevail - with or without me'

2010-02-22T09:28:00.001+08:00

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim fired a stern warning to his detractors that the people would vote BN out of Putrajaya in the next polls, whether he is in jail or not.

He said the people were so fed up that they were all geared up to kick out the Umno-dominated federal government and replace it with Pakatan Rakyat.

Speaking today to a large crowd at a Chinese New Year open house in Machang Bubok, Penang, Anwar said BN, Umno, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and even his wife Rosmah Mansor “should not live under false illusions.”

“They should not have this wrong perception that the voters would back the ruling coalition if I were to be jailed,” said Anwar in reference to the ongoing Sodomy II trial at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

“Let me tell you all, that the people of Malaysia will rise to the occasion against Umno and BN in the next general election - whether I am in jail or not.

'Everywhere we've went, the people (we see) are ready to kick out Umno and BN,” he said.

He said the people have long lost their trust on Umno and BN due to corruption that infected the Putrajaya administration to its core.

Due to massive corruption, Anwar said Malaysia had now fallen on the wayside economically even within the Asean region.

“We are now lagging far behind Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and even Vietnam in both economic growth and competitive edge. We are only better than Burma and Zimbabwe,” said the Permatang Pauh MP.

'What has Umno done for Penang Malays?'

The open house was hosted by PKR's Machang Bubok state assemblyperson and Penang state assembly deputy speaker Tan Hock Leong.

Other PKR notables also present were Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman, executive councillor Law Choo Kiang, assemblypersons Maktar Shapee (Sungai Bakap), Sim Tze Tzin (Pantai Jerejak).

The sole PAS state representative Mohd Salleh Man (Permatang Pasir) was also one of the guests at the open house.

Anwar also cast doubts on Umno's moral standing in questioning the current Penang government led by chief minister Lim Guan Eng “for not doing enough for the Penang Malay community.”

“What Umno has done for Penang Malays since independence until it lost the last general election?” he asked.

“All the good things done by Umno in Penang were carried out when I was an Umno minister. I am ready to face anyone on this,” he challenged.

He said the current Umno leaders in Penang were only interested pocketing riches for themselves at the expense of public interest.

He said PKR would back the state government so long as chief minister Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, continues to deliver the goods for the people.

“Lim is doing a good job here. We are here today to show full support to his government,” he said, calling on the crowd to back Pakatan to retain the DAP-led Penang government in the next round.

“Penang is important for Pakatan and for me ... we must win it again in the next election,” said the Penang-born Anwar.

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-13T16:25:00.002+08:00

Bayan Baru MP Zahrain quits PKR

2010-02-12T12:01:00.000+08:00

Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Mohd Hashim today announced that he has quit from PKR with immediate effect.

He will become an independent member of Parliament but one 'not friendly to BN,' he added.

Word on the political grapevine in Penang had churned late yesterday that Zahrain and three other fellow dissidents of PKR would call a press conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning to make a major announcement.

However, Zahrain was the only PKR MP at the press conference held at 11am at a hotel in Petaling Jaya.

He cited his disappointment with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his dissillusionment with PKR and Pakatan as the major reason for his resignation.

Zahrain described Lim's rule in Penang as "chauvanistic, arrogant and communistic'".

He said he was jumping ship because he no longer agree with the "captains" in Pakatan.

According to Zahrain, he does not want to be part of a sinking ship and be blamed by the rakyat for being associated with Pakatan's mockery of the people's trust.

For a fortnight now Zahrain has been courting his party's ire with steadily mounting criticism aimed at Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Joining him in this targeting of the Pakatan Rakyat chief executive for Penang were fellow PKR MPs Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal, Penang), Zulkifli Noordin (Kulim Bandar Baru, Kedah) and more recently, Wee Choo Keong (Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur).

The attacks appeared to be coordinated to drive a wedge between DAP and its main Pakatan partner in the Penang state government, PKR.

The drumfire of criticism was timed to exploit the brouhaha in Penang over alleged victimising of unlicensed traders, mainly Malay, by the DAP-led state government.

The Penang Malay Chambers of Commerce, a bastion of support for Umno, has kept up a steady line of fire at Lim for alleged injustice in the handling of the issue.

Unhappy with Anwar

Zahrain (left), the former Penang PKR chief, has been unhappy with party supremo Anwar Ibrahim from the time the latter turned down his request to become the party's candidate for the Penanti by-election in May last year.

Anwar chose his former political secretary Mansor Othman for the poll which was forced when the fumbling Fairus Khairuddin obeyed the PKR supremo's behest to step down.

Once elected, Mansor went on to replace Fairus as deputy chief minister and, from last October, PKR chief for Penang, replacing Zahrain.

Zahrain has also been unhappy with Lim who had ordered that the contract for the management of the Bukit Jambul Golf and Country resort be re-tendered after it was awarded to a “two dollar company.” The Big Four Auditors are here at jobstreet.com. Register and let them select you.

Zahrain was chairman of the board of the Penang Development Corporation company that owns the golf course.

City Hall flats 'not up to standard'

2010-02-11T10:24:00.001+08:00

Deputy Federal Territories Minister M Saravanan has conceded that City Hall's low-cost flats do not provide tenants with conducive living because basic facilities are still lacking.

"The units need to be upgraded... (and) we are working on it with additional funding (from the ministry)," he told Malaysiakini.

"Without the basics, you can't have conducive living. With the additional allocation I think we will be able to tackle the issue. At this moment it is totally insufficient."

Most of the flats were constructed in the 1970s to accommodate urban squatters, who paid low rentals. However, the catch is that the majority of these units have just one bedroom.

In 2004, then Federal Territories Minister Mohd Isa Abdul Samad said City Hall would start converting these to two-bedroom units, but this was not done. New flats, however, have three bedrooms.

Among the ideas for upgrading the facilities is the inclusion of a community hall.

"You must have a proper place for last rites if somebody passes away. Muslims carry out their last rites within 24 hours... Indians might do so in two days and the Chinese might go beyond that," explained Saravanan (right in photo).

"You can't set up a tent in the public area for this. You need a special area."

Saravanan also pointed to the absence of places of worship for non-Muslims at low-cost flats.

"We have 23 (public) flats and none of these are equipped with places of worship for Hindus and the Chinese. Are we saying that they don't have to pray when they live in flats?

"I have submitted a proposal to the minister for a Hindu and Chinese temple to be built at 23 of the flats."

He explained that Indians and Chinese comprise more than 10 percent of the residents in most public housing areas. In some, they exceed 25 percent.

"The minister has agreed in principle that not only City Hall flats, but any housing development, should have places of worship for non-Muslims. We will start with City Hall flats."

Saravanan said the proposal has yet to be approved, but pledged to push for this to be realised and for similar facilities to be provided in upcoming public housing projects.

In its 2010 budget, City Hall was allocated RM2.12 billion to upgrade infrastructure and public facilities. Construction of the community halls in low-cost flats is expected to be financed through this allocation.

Units for sale

City Hall has offered 44,146 more low-cost units for sale since last year.

These should be able to accommodate all the squatters in KL if the numbers remain constant, City Hall Mayor Ahmad Fuad Ismail had said previously.

He had also said that, to date, more than 80 percent of all squatters have been relocated except for those occupying private land.

"The core objective of all public housing in Kuala Lumpur is two-pronged. The policy was conceived first out of compassion and second out of aesthetics," he told the New Straits Times last December.

Several local authorities are working towards eradicating urban slums under a 'zero squatter' policy.

Hindu temple bulldozed without warning

2010-02-10T10:11:00.000+08:00

A Hindu temple in Air Panas, Setapak was demolished by the Kuala Lumpur city council (DBKL) yesterday morning, leaving local villagers crying foul.

According to Om Sri Maha Kaliaman Alayam temple caretaker Ravi Shankar, about 20 DBKL enforcement officers came with bulldozers to demolish the more than 60-year-old temple without any notice.

DBKL officials however refuted the allegations, stressing that the building was in fact a new structure.

"We have the authority to demolish any new structures that have been built illegally, without notice," said Sadiaah Hashim, administrative assistant of the DBKL squatter division.

Ravi has since made a report against DBKL at Sentul Police Station. He said that worshippers were praying at the temple at around 9am when a team of DBKL enforcement officers moved in to demolish the structure. "We did not try to stop them. We were taken by surprise and scared."

MIC information chief, P Kamalanathan confirmed the incident and said that DBKL should have offered an alternative site before demolishing the temple.

"It should not have happened. They should have consulted the local community leaders before demolishing the sacred place," he said.

Lawyer P Uthayakumar who assisted the caretaker in making the report said: "According to the principles of Article 11, the temple should not have been demolished just as people do not demolish mosques."

The Human Rights Party (HRP) have also submitted a letter to the prime minister, federal territories minister and Kuala Lumpur mayor to condemn the demolition and demanded that all Hindu temples be gazetted.

PR-status student unable to attend school

2010-02-10T10:09:00.002+08:00

Unlike other children, 14 year old Darshin Ponnuthurai has been unable to attend school for the past few weeks due to complications with her application to attend school, according to her adoptive parents.

"We submitted the necessary forms on Jan 11. However, the Selangor state education department did not get back to us till today," said a worried Ponnuthurai Manickam, her adopted father.

He said that his daughter had not encountered any schooling problems thus far, but things changed when she tried to apply for a transfer to SMK Taman Tasik in Ampang.

He added that the matter has also been brought up with the Prime Minister's Department Public Complaints Bureau, but had later been informed that it was under the deliberation of the Home Affairs Ministry.

Ponnuthurai spoke to reporters today at a press conference organised by the Human Rights Party Malaysia (HRP) in Kuala Lumpur.

He explained that Darshin holds permanent resident status although she was born in Kuala Lumpur, as they could not trace her biological father.

HRP pro-tem information chief S Jayathas urged the National Registration Department to issue Darshin an identity card within two months as she was born in this country after Sept 1962.

He argued that under the federal constitution, Darshin is a citizen and should have an identity card as she was born here.

When contacted today, SMK Taman Tasik headmaster Zaini Mohammad Zain advised the parents to follow the proper procedures set by the Home Affairs Ministry.

Perak MB - it's Zambry!

2010-02-09T11:29:00.002+08:00

The Federal Court, the highest court in the country, delivered a unanimous decision that Zambry Abd Kadir of BN is the rightful Perak menteri besar.

Shouts are heard outside the courtroom, with the Pakatan crowd shouting "Bubar DUN", "Zambry penakut", "tipu" and "rasuah".

Perak BN senior exco Hamidh Osman said: "I am grateful for the decision and hope everyone will accept it."

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, led a five-member bench in delivering the verdict.

The others were Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Arifin Zakaria and Justices Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, Mohd Ghazali Mohd Yusoff and Abdull Hamid Embong of the Federal Court.

The Palace of Justice in Putrajaya has been a hive of activity since 7am, as people queued up to get their passes and into their seats in the courtroom. Scores of supporters have gathered.

The Federal Court had, on Nov 5 last year, heard Nizar's appeal and submission for more then six hours but defer its decision

The court had earlier dismissed Nizar's application for a full bench of 11 judges or an enlarged panel.

Judicial decisions

BN was seen to have usurped power in Perak when three Pakatan Rakyat assemblypersons switched sides to become BN-friendly Independents in February last year, leading to Pakatan seeking legal recourse.

On May 11, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim had ruled that Nizar is the rightful menteri besar.

"He is, and was, at all material times the chief minister of Perak," Abdul Aziz told the court.

However, the appellate court's three-member bench unanimously overturned the decision in favour of Zambry, saying that the High Court judge had failed to properly and adequately appreciate the entire evidence before him.

"We hold the view that the granting or the withholding of the request for the dissolution of the state legislative assembly is royal prerogative,” ruled Justice Md Raus Sharif.

Nizar was represented by a team of lawyers led by senior counsel Sulaiman Abdullah, while senior lawyer Cecil Abraham represented Zambry.

HRP may challenge Nizar in possible Perak elections (Malaysiakini)

2010-02-09T11:18:00.002+08:00

Hafiz Yatim (Malaysiakini)

The Human Rights Party may pose a candidate against former Pakatan Rakyat menteri besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin in Pasir Panjang, Perak, should state elections be called.

HRP pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar announced at the Sitiawan Recreation Club over the weekend that the party - the political wing of Hindraf - will also contest in six other seats.

These are Buntong, Hutan Melintang, Jalong, Changkat Jong, Jelapang and Sungkai.

As a result, there will be a likelihood of a three-way contest in these seats. There are 59 state seats in Perak.

The Federal Court will rule tomorrow as to whether to allow Nizar’s appeal to challenge Barisan Nasional’s Zambry Abd Kadir as the menteri besar.

Nizar has promised to call for state elections to resolve the political imbroglio if he wins. Zambry, however, will continue to lead the silver state if he emerges victorious.

Perak’s constitutional crisis has been going on since Feb 6 last year.

Buntong has 46.2 percent Indians

Uthayakumar said it is likely that the HRP may contest, either under its own banner or field Independents.

Of the seven state seats, Buntong has the highest number of Indian voters, comprising 46.2 percent of the electorate.

It is followed by Hutan Melintang (32.1 percent), Jalong (26.7 percent) and Changkat Jong (26 percent)

Jelapang, Pasir Panjang and Sungkai have fewer than 20 percent Indian voters.

Uthayakumar announced the formation of the HRP, which he described as a multiracial party, on July 19 last year.

“We will fight our own cause… we can’t count on others to do so for us,” he said, adding that Pakatan Rakyat, like Barisan Nasional, is not addressing the needs of marginalised groups